Day-tripping in the Land of Lincoln
Want to hit the road? These destinations are just a hop, skip and jump away. Take the road less traveled to find some amazing sites in the corners and edges of Illinois.
Discover more about Illinois history 
You can learn more about Abraham Lincoln’s life and times in Illinois through the Looking for Lincoln story trail with 265 wayside exhibits in 55 communities throughout central Illinois. For detailed location information, visit http://www. lookingforlincoln.com/storytrail/gps.html. After visiting the many state historic sites in Springfield operated by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, check out other historic sites in central Illinois in communities such as Bloomington, Lincoln, Galesburg and Mount Pulaski. For more information on all the Illinois State Historic Sites, go to https://www2.illinois.gov/ihpa/Experience/Sites/Pages/ Default.aspx.
Dickson Mounds Museum – Lewistown
The Illinois State Museum-Dickson Mounds is dedicated to the history of Native Americans in Illinois, and particularly in the Illinois River valley. Drawing on archaeological and historical information, artifact-rich permanent exhibits -- People of the Valley and Mississippian Lifeways -- along with multimedia programs relate the 12,000-year history of Native American people in the region. A new exhibit, American Settlement, considers the American frontier and the impact of settlement on native people and the land. From the outdoor terrace on the top level of the museum, there is a spectacular view of the Illinois River floodplain.
Restoration of wetland habitat by The Nature Conservancy and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has transformed the land and waterscape to its ancient beginnings. It is aptly named Emiquon, a variation of what French explorers heard native people call the Spoon River.
A public lecture on archaeology is presented on the first Tuesday of each month at 7pm. The Hickory Ridge roots music concert occurs on the third Saturday of each month at 7pm. Tot Time, a hands-on program for toddlers and their caretakers, is offered on the first Thursday of each month at 9:30am. In addition, the museum offers annual events, such as a Winter Gathering, Eagle Day Festival, Artifact Identification Day, Flint Knapping Weekends and other programs for youth and adults throughout the year. Visit http://illinoisstatemuseum.org/content/welcome-dickson-mounds or call 309- 547-3721 for more information and current program offerings.
Dickson Mounds Museum is located off Illinois Route 78/97 at 10956 North Dickson Mounds Road. It is approximately 5 miles southeast of Lewistown and 5 miles northwest of Havana. The museum is open from 8:30am to 5pm. Monday through Friday every day day except New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. There is no admission fee but donations are welcome.
Elkhart
The Village of Elkhart is located north of Springfield at exit #115 on I-55 and off old Route 66 between Springfield and Lincoln. Rich in history and natural beauty, Elkhart is famous for its unusual landscape – a tree-covered hill that rises 777 feet above sea level, surrounded by a horizon of flat Illinois prairie land. For many years, several Native American tribes populated the area around Elkhart Hill, with the first white settler arriving in 1819.
Located in the Elkhart Cemetery atop Elkhart Hill is an Episcopal Chapel built in 1890. Constructed by the prolific Culver Stone and Marble Company of Springfield, it is one of the few remaining Culver buildings in the area. The cemetery reads like a Who’s Who with the likes of Civil War general and three-term Illinois governor Richard J. Oglesby and John Dean Gillett, known for raising superior quality beef and for his friendship with Abraham Lincoln. Captain Adam H. Bogardus, a wildfowl market hunter, conservationist and champion wingshot, who toured with Buffalo Bill Cody’s “Wild West” show, is buried here. Elkhart’s Looking For Lincoln trail sign is located in the historic Elkhart Cemetery. The storyboard describes Lincoln’s connection with Governor Oglesby. Just beyond the cemetery on County Road 10 is the Gillett Memorial Bridge built in 1915. The bridge was included in Landmarks Illinois’ 2005 10 most endangered historic places in Illinois list and is one of only two privately owned arched bridges in the state of Illinois.
Elkhart’s “Heritage Corner” is an important historical display for the community, historians and visitors to the village. Located directly across from the Village Hall on Governor Oglesby Street in historic downtown Elkhart, the Lincoln Heritage signs are part of the Illinois Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission program and were designed during the 2009 celebration of Lincoln’s 200 th birthday to celebrate and recapture the legacy of Abraham Lincoln’s involvement in Logan County.
Elkhart’s “Historic Rt. 66 Statue and Wayside Exhibit,” opened in October of 2014, focuses on a stop for lunch that Shirley Temple made while on her way to the premiere of Little Miss Broadway in Springfield. The exhibit, located next to the Village Hall, consists of an iron silhouette and accompanying informational signage.
Keep an eye out for the doughboy statue presented to the Village of Elkhart by returning veterans of World War I. Wander in shops and dine at the Wild Hare Café and Talk of the Town restaurants in the picturesque early 1900s-style downtown. Catch some live entertainment at the Blue Moon Pub and there are a few antique shops or the nearby model car raceway. Head north for an Elkhart day trip.
The historic downtown is open Tuesdays through Sundays year-round. Contact Peggy Lee at 947-2046, http://www.elkhartillinois.us/index.html.
Lincoln Heritage Museum 
The Lincoln Heritage Museum, a nonprofit museum owned and operated by Lincoln College, interprets for the public the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln and the world in which he lived. The largest single daily tourist attraction in Logan County, the museum has served as a dynamic part of the community from its origin in 1942 to its relocation to its new facility in April 2014. Since then, the museum has become one of the country’s most respected Lincoln-related museums.
Rarities of the collection to be viewed on the first floor include Civil War weapons, a table from New Salem at which Lincoln studied, one of Lincoln’s favorite rocking chairs, a lock of Lincoln’s hair, several of Lincoln’s own books, and a locally made 1860 Lincoln presidential campaign banner. On the second floor, there is an interactive and immersive environment that follows a ”life review” concept which puts the visitor in the place of Abraham Lincoln and, using state of the art audio/visual technology, allows the ability to experience what Abraham Lincoln himself may have seen and heard throughout his life, and hear what others said about him. It will allow the visitor to walk in Lincoln’s shoes.
Ranked as one of the “30 Most Amazing University Museums in the World” by bestcollegesonline.com in 2013, the Lincoln Heritage Museum offers a truly unique and memorable experience for those interested in the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln. In 2017, the Lincoln Heritage Museum will open a special exhibit titled, “Lovers of Liberty, Take Courage!” which will run from Feb. 13, 2017 through the end of December and will showcase displays of courage from such historical figures as Harriet Tubman, Elijah P. Lovejoy and Harriet Beecher Stowe. Artifacts from their lives will help tell their stories.
The Lincoln Heritage Museum is located on the historic campus of Lincoln College at 1115 Nicholson Road, Lincoln. Call 735-7399 or go to http://museum.lincolncollege.edu for information. Open Monday-Friday from 9am to 4pm. Closed Sundays and holidays.
Peoria Riverfront Museum
The Peoria Riverfront Museum, located in downtown Peoria near the Illinois River, opened in October 2012. The museum hosts national and international touring exhibitions and features many unique opportunities for learning, culture and fun. It is home to the digital Dome Planetarium and the Giant Screen Theater, a 5-story-tall and 7-story-wide screen, which shows a variety of educational, Hollywood and classic movies throughout the year. In addition to a rotating schedule of traveling art, history and science exhibitions, the museum’s galleries include the Illinois River Encounter with a 400-gallon native species fish tank and the IHSA Peak Performance Center, where you can test your strength, dexterity and knowledge. In The Street, you can view fascinating true stories and objects from local history, kids can play in the hands-on area and you can record your own oral history.
This year’s rotating exhibitions include Celebrate Illinois: 200 Years in the Land of Lincoln and Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns and Mermaids.
Peoria Riverfront Museum, 222 SW Washington St., Peoria, 61602; 309-686- 7000. Museum Hours: Tuesday 10am- 5pm; Wednesday 10am-9pm, Thursday- Saturday 10am-5pm and Sundays noon- 5pm. During June, July and August, the Museum is also open on Mondays from 10am- pm. Admission is $11 for adults, $10 for seniors 60+, and $9 for kids 3-17. Some special exhibitions may include a special admission fee. Museum members receive free admission to all exhibitions. For the latest information, or to purchase tickets, please visit www.peoriariverfrontmuseum.org.
Caterpillar Visitors Center - Peoria
The Caterpillar Visitors Center is located next to the Peoria Riverfront Museum in downtown Peoria. This isn’t your average museum! Your visit begins with a virtual ride in the bed of a massive two-and-a-half story Cat 797F Mining Truck. Learn how Caterpillar’s story began as two companies came together to build Caterpillar on the foundation of innovation and customer focus. Unleash your inner engineer as you design your very own Cat machine. Test your skills on a simulator to see firsthand what it’s like to operate equipment the way Caterpillar operators do. And no visit is complete without climbing in a motor grader, tracktype tractor or excavator on the product floor.
Caterpillar Visitors Center, 110 S. W. Washington Street, Peoria. Open Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm (last ticket / entry at 3:30pm) Closed on Sundays and national holidays. General admission: $7; Seniors (55+), veterans and active military: $6; Veterans and active military (55+): $5; Children (12 and under): Free.
Morton – Pumpkin Capital of the World
Morton is about 70 miles north of Springfield at the crossroads of Interstates 74 and 155 and 8 miles east of downtown Peoria. Morton is known for pumpkins. For 50 years, the community has held an annual pumpkin festival, which began in 1967 as a celebration of the beginning of the pumpkin harvest and canning season at the local Libby’s Pumpkin Plant. In 1978, the governor of Illinois signed a proclamation that Morton was the “Pumpkin Capital of the World” since 85 percent of the world’s canned pumpkin was processed at their Libby’s Pumpkin plant. Today, the Morton Pumpkin Festival includes over 30 special events and venues hosted and organized by over 2,000 volunteers. The festival welcomes an estimated 70,000 visitors. The festival features a parade, carnival, entertainment and all types of food made with pumpkin, from ice cream to baked beans, chili, pasta salad, cheesecake and other tasty treats. The 2017 Morton Pumpkin Festival is Sept. 13-16.
Ackerman Family Farms – Morton
For a fun fall outing, visit Ackerman Family Farms at the eastern edge of Morton on U.S. Highway 150. John and Yvette Ackerman operate this Centennial farm which has been in the Ackerman family for four generations. In addition to growing pumpkins for canning, they also grow over 160 varieties of pumpkins and squash. Here you can see firsthand how pumpkins for your Jack-O-Lantern differ from the pumpkins used for pumpkin pie filling. There is a huge selection of pumpkins to purchase, from large to small, and all types of unusual gourds and squash in addition to mums, cornstalks and straw bales. Kids will enjoy seeing many animals up close, including turkeys, chickens, baby goats and a mini donkey. A shop features local food products, home decor and fall and Halloween merchandise. Each year there is a new design for the family-friendly corn maze, which has a small admission fee. Hayrack rides are offered on weekends, and u-pick pumpkins are generally available daily.
Ackerman Family Farms is located just east of Morton on U.S. Highway 150 (Jackson Street), 27158 U.S. Hwy. 150, Morton 61550; Open Aug. 28 through Oct. 31. Hours: Monday- Friday, 9am-6pm; Sundays noon-5pm. 309-266-7459; info@ackermanfamilyfarmsllc.com; http://ackermanfamilyfarmsllc.com/
Mitchell Museum in Mt. Vernon
Head south for a day of art. At the Mitchell Museum at Cedarhurst Center for the Arts, they have it all. Located on a 90-acre site, Cedarhurst offers exciting visual and performing arts programs for the public. In the rolling meadow enjoy Cedarhurst’s Sculpture Park, an outdoor gallery with more than 60 large-scale sculptures, including new sculptures by renowned artist Jun Kaneko. Inside the Mitchell Museum, art connoisseurs are immersed in classic and contemporary art located in four galleries. The museum profiles works by artists Mary Cassatt, Maurice Prendergast and Childe Hassam and offers an American painting collection assembled by founders John R. and Eleanor R. Mitchell. “This is a great day trip where you can enjoy the art and experience the nature,” said Sarah Sledge of Cedarhurst.
Cedarhurst hosts Thursday Night Live each week throughout the summer. The art galleries and Sculpture Park are open until 8 p.m. each Thursday from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Visitors are welcome to enjoy weekly TNL programs, music on the patio, food concessions and cash bar.
The Mitchell Museum at Cedarhurst is at 2600 Richview Rd., Mt. Vernon. Open Tuesday-Saturday, 10am to 5pm, and Sunday, 1-5pm. 618-242- 1236. http://www.cedarhurst.org.
